So this is old, like 2004, like before Consumerist existed old, but we’re posting it anyway because it’s making the rounds and, like we said, we didn’t exist when it was new. [More]
advertising
The Movie You're Watching Was Co-Written By Ad Men
By 4.6.10
In an age of skyrocketing budgets, movie studios are looking for any edge they can to make sure they cover their costs. According to the New York Times, those fears have led to partnerships with advertisers that develop at the concept stage, and advertisers have a hand in forming the plot of the film. [More]
NY Politician Uses Billboard To Attack Saggy Pants
By 4.2.10
Attention saggy pants lovers: A state senator in NY has commissioned a billboard that calls on you to “Stop the Sag.” [More]
POLL: Is Advertising In Schools OK?
By 3.31.10
Many schools have seen some sort of inside advertising since the ’90s, but it’s usually been relegated to a few posters in the cafeteria. But several school districts in the Detroit metro area are moving ahead with plans to include advertising for national brands on gym walls, athletic fields and school web pages. [More]
AirTran Makes Fun Of Southwest Seating In Commercial
By 3.31.10
If you’ve ever been part of the mad dash for seats on a Southwest Airlines flight, you might find this video from AirTran funny. In it, mooing passengers race down the jetway while a Southwest employee makes ridiculous jokes. Meanwhile, AirTran serves its assigned-seat passengers Kool-Aid. Wait, now I’m confused about who’s being mocked here. [More]
Join Church Of Nationwide Insurance, Get Accident Forgiveness
By 3.17.10
Sean received an exciting promotional letter from Nationwide Insurance a few weeks ago. Did you know that Nationwide has its own imaginary patron saint? It’s true! Is this mailing a lighthearted way to sell the idea of “accident forgiveness,” or a culturally and religiously insensitive ad campaign? Sean thinks it’s the latter. What do you think? [More]
This Overstock.com Banner Ad Is Only A Cruel Joke
By 3.11.10
Sometimes banner ads online promise a great price, but do not reflect actual reality. That’s the sad lesson that reader Ricky writes that he learned recently after clicking on a banner ad for Overstock.com. See, the banner advertised products for sale at Overstock.com and bore the company’s logo, but the company did not produce the ad, and the prices are not real. [More]
My Friend Gets Subway $5 Foot Longs And I Am Cruelly Denied
By 3.11.10
Reader Brad keeps trying to get a “specialty” sub from Subway for $5 because the ads say that all subs are included in the deal except “premium” subs. He says his friend has no trouble doing this, but for some reason Brad is cursed to leave the store with no sub. [More]
"Mad Men" Barbie Dolls Launch
By 3.10.10
The cast of Mad Men just got Barbie Dollized. For only $74.95 a pop, you can have just as much fun toying with Don, Betty, Roger and Joan as they have toying with each other. Sorry, only G-rated accessories; they will not come with any cigarettes or martini glasses. However, fans will be glad to know that just like in the show, the characters will be trapped inside plastic coffins and their movements determined by powerful external forces. [More]
Hire A Hipster Housecleaner On Craigslist
By 3.5.10
Phil is a hipster and will totally clean your house and make it sweet. ” You can rest easy with the fact that a sweet dude in skinny jeans is totally taking out the garbage and cleaning your toilet,” says his rad Craigslist ad. [More]
Colorado Springs Billboard Company Says "No Puppet Boobs Allowed"
By 2.25.10
Lucy the Slut is one of the puppets in the musical “Avenue Q,” and like the other puppet characters she’s frequently displayed in their advertising. But not in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a billboard company refused to put up ads showing Lucy’s cleavage. An exec for the billboard company told the local paper, “If I have to explain it to my 4-year-old or my grandmother, we don’t put it up.” Hey four-year-old, it’s a puppet. Hey grandma, those are boobs. Problem solved. [More]
The Greatest Craigslist Room Rental Ad Ever
By 2.18.10
Maximize your Craigslist profits by crafting copy that really stands out. Like this guy’s rental listing that begins, “$500 HOLY CRAP! IS THAT A ROOM FOR RENT ON MY CRAIGSLIST??!?!?!?” and continues, “Do you want to be homeless? Then you better come check this room for rent out. It has WALLS and a CEILING. BLOCKS THE F****** WIND AND RAIN FOOL!” [More]
9/11 Terrorist Stars In Facebook Ad
By 2.16.10
Online advertisers will do anything for clicks, and Facebook will take anybody’s money. A Facebook advertiser decided the best way to grab eyeballs was to put a picture of a 9/11 terrorist in his banner ad. Yep, it’s good ol’ Mohamed Atta, the guy who steered the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center. [More]
What Does Prosperity Taste Like? Beef.
By 2.13.10
What does prosperity taste like? According to McDonald’s in Singapore, it tastes like beef. From a historical point of view, I suppose that’s true.
What’s a Prosperity Burger? It’s a beef or chicken burger on a long bun, almost like a small sub sandwich, with onions and a black pepper sauce. If you want mega prosperity, apparently you need to add some twisty fries.
(Thanks to Dan for the picture!)
Come On Down To The Ugly Furniture Store!
By 2.10.10
Want ugly furniture? How about a teardrop filled with frog eggs? Want an ugly table to put ugly stuff on? We’ve got that! This is a parody commercial for a real store filled with hideous furniture. [More]
Just The Violence From The Super Bowl Commercials
By 2.8.10
A very smart person has cut out everything except the violence from the Super Bowl commercials. This way you can see Tim Tebow tackle his mom without worrying about boring controversy. [More]
Google Doesn't Want To Know How To Make Friends With Black People
By 2.8.10
Yesterday’s Google super bowl ad was a cute story about a guy falling in love with a French lady told through his searches. The trouble is, they showed the autocomplete prompts and, as anyone who has ever used Google knows, the autocomplete suggestions can be, uh, kinda weird. So, of course, some the search suggestions have been edited out. Like one about making friends with black people. [More]
Quick, Someone Develop Adblock For Online TV Commercials
By 2.8.10
The ratings company Nielsen–the company you can blame for bad stunt-casting and stupid plot devices during sweeps week–is going to start rolling in data from online viewings of commercials this fall, which means networks will start using online viewing stats to help sell ads this time next year. What this means: if a network uses the new Nielsen rating system, “shows seen online will have to have the same group of commercials that run on TV,” reports AdAge. [More]
